Some Pictures To Hold You Over Until Real Blogging Returns

I’m almost completely unpacked. I have one shelf already full of books—organized by subject matter and genre—and a shelf full of, well, random other things that I don’t have any space for. Currently, my jewelry box, the knickknacks I brought from my room in Virginia, and two clutches full of bulky bracelets and hair accessories. The top two shelves (I have four) are mostly empty. One more to fill with books, all of which are for pleasure reading, and then the other will probably be another shelf full of random things I didn’t have any space for elsewhere.

Last night before I went to bed, I brought in the chest I had sitting in the trunk of my car, containing a plethora of books (some of which = currently on shelf) and then organized it for all my Pagan things. As I may or may not have remembered to mention previously, I recently painted a wooden box to contain all my little tools and such that I like to periodically use in my practice: candles, incense, feathers, tumbled gemstones, crystal balls, totem statuettes, etc. Nothing really expensive, and most of it homemade or at least home-altered in some fashion. I’m a big fan of personalization. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you likely already knew that one.

That box, plus a box that was made to look like a book (a gift from a friend, long ago), plus my library of Pagan-related books, plus the extra candles and the wooden athame that I use and a mask that I recently painted (still unfinished) all fit in the giant wicker chest, which is presently sitting at the foot of my bed with a blanket over top of it and Midnight, my not-so-creatively-named stuffed black panther, guarding it. She’s good at that; she’s sat atop that chest for years, even back when it had much more mundane contents.

The only tool, book, or random artifact that I use regularly in my practice that is not now located in the described Chest of Mysteries, which I’m not referring to it as, is my well-worn copy of A Book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith. That book sits on my nightstand by my bed.

And, now, for some pictures of the Chest of Mysteries with its mysterious contents as well as the painted box I made. Enjoy!

My painted box :)

A closeup of the spiral-alpha symbol, which
represents, well, me. Top down view of my box.

The open box. Note the "gilding" details.

The lid from the inside. Anden is the name I use in my
practice. While not my given name, I consider it my
magical name, or true name, or inner name.

The afore-mentioned Chest of Mysteries, in all its
mysterious mystery. Full to the brim.